Commercial Irrigation recruiters serving Tulsa.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are scarcer in Tulsa than in most of the country, 16% fewer per job, so the roughly 2,360 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 344 business locations of landscaping companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Tulsa.
BLS counts about 4,610 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Tulsa metro, the largest group being landscaping and groundskeeping workers (about 2,360). Relative to the size of the local economy, landscaping and groundskeeping workers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.84). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Irrigation hub.
Irrigation Technician / Installer
Tulsa: 2,360 employed · $36,780 median, 86th-highest of 112 metros
Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT)
Irrigation System Designer
Tulsa: 40 employed · $63,780 median, 76th-highest of 78 metros
Backflow Prevention Specialist
Tulsa: 1,950 employed · $59,440 median, 77th-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Service / Repair Technician
Irrigation Foreman / Crew Lead
Tulsa: 260 employed · $47,880 median, 103rd-highest of 112 metros
Irrigation Project Manager
Tulsa: 700 employed · $105,960 median, 70th-highest of 111 metros
Irrigation Estimator
Tulsa: 670 employed · $72,880 median, 93rd-highest of 111 metros
Smart / Controller Systems Technician
Landscape Water Management Auditor
What Commercial Irrigation roles earn in Tulsa.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Tulsa earn a median $36,780, 6% under the $39,150 national figure, and 86th of 112 metros. Pay runs $29,880 at the tenth percentile to $47,900 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is landscape architects, at $63,780 against $79,870 nationally.
| Role | Tulsa median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irrigation Technician / Installer · Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT) · Irrigation Service / Repair TechnicianLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (37-3011) | $36,780 | $29,880–$47,900 | $39,150 | −6% | 2,360 |
| Irrigation System DesignerLandscape Architects (17-1012) | $63,780 | $42,800–$82,660 | $79,870 | −20% | 40 |
| Backflow Prevention SpecialistPlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) | $59,440 | $37,990–$80,420 | $63,800 | −7% | 1,950 |
| Irrigation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (37-1012) | $47,880 | $37,760–$77,190 | $58,430 | −18% | 260 |
| Irrigation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $105,960 | $71,360–$167,480 | $114,990 | −8% | 700 |
| Irrigation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $72,880 | $44,440–$105,230 | $78,740 | −7% | 670 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tulsa metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Tulsa's commercial irrigation market has changed since 2018.
The number of landscaping companies in Tulsa rose from 293 in 2018 to 344 in 2023, up 17%, ahead of the 13% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping companies: business locations | 293 | 344 | +17% |
| Landscaping companies: employment | – | 2,198 | – |
| Landscaping companies: average annual pay | – | $42,625 | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Irrigation hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Irrigation · 2026 Commercial Irrigation Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Irrigation
Tulsa runs 16% fewer commercial irrigation workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Tulsa's commercial irrigation market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Tulsa ranks 66th for headcount, 78th for median pay and 83rd for concentration for landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | 3,940 | $36,760 | 0.95 | 477 |
| Tulsa | 2,360 | $36,780 | 0.84 | 344 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial irrigation employers in Tulsa, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Tulsa metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Irrigation licensing in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has no irrigation contractor license. The Construction Industries Board regulates only building inspectors, electrical, home inspectors, mechanical, plumbing and roofing, and neither the Plumbing License Law nor the Board's plumbing rules at OAC Title 158 Chapter 30 mention landscape irrigation or lawn sprinkler systems. Oklahoma DEQ's public water supply rules address backflow prevention devices but do not create a state backflow tester certification, so cross-connection control and tester approval are handled by the individual city water utility, such as Oklahoma City or Tulsa. Hire against the local utility's approved tester list and confirm a plumbing license for anyone making potable water connections. The same state rules apply in Oklahoma City, so candidates licensed there can work in Tulsa without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state irrigation license; the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board regulates plumbing, electrical, mechanical, roofing and inspection trades, and backflow testing is left to municipal water utilities. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Tulsa talent.
The closest metro we cover is Oklahoma City, about 100 miles away, with roughly 3,940 landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1.7 times Tulsa's 2,360). Kansas City pays the most nearby, a $41,450 median, 13% above Tulsa. That is the number any Tulsa offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Dallas-Fort Worth has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | – | 2,360 | $36,780 |
| Oklahoma City | 98 mi | 3,940 | $36,760 |
| Wichita | 130 mi | 1,760 | $38,260 |
| Kansas City | 218 mi | 6,660 | $41,450 |
| Little Rock | 230 mi | 1,670 | $36,490 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 237 mi | 19,750 | $37,680 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Tulsa crews.
Not commercial irrigation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Tulsa in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Park Aerospace advanced composites facility$65MOperations beginning 2028
A new advanced composite materials manufacturing facility on 18 acres at Tulsa International Airport, expected to create more than 100 jobs. Specialized industrial construction distinct from conventional commercial building.
- Quantum Space manufacturing facility$80MOperations expected Q1 2027
A 25,000-40,000 sq ft facility in the Spartan Building for large propulsion tank manufacturing and precision spacecraft parts production, expected to create 50 jobs. Adds to Tulsa International Airport's growing aerospace-campus identity alongside Agile Space Industries and Lufthansa Technik Component Services.
These are the 2 projects we track in Tulsa. The Tulsa market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial irrigation, and what kills offers in Tulsa.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end a commercial irrigation offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Irrigation credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Irrigation hiring in Tulsa.
What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Tulsa?
BLS puts the Tulsa median for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $36,780 a year, 6% below the $39,150 national median. That ranks 86th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $29,880 to $47,900 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other Oklahoma metro we cover pays more for this work (Oklahoma City: $36,760).
Is it hard to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Tulsa?
Yes. Tulsa has 16% fewer landscaping and groundskeeping workers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 2,360 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 344 landscaping companies here average about 6.4 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 17% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial irrigation roles pay the most in Tulsa?
Of the roles we recruit for, Irrigation Project Manager pays the most in Tulsa, a $105,960 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Irrigation System Designer at $63,780, 40% below it. Irrigation Technician / Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $36,780. Irrigation System Designer trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many landscaping companies operate in Tulsa?
BLS counted 344 landscaping companies in Tulsa in 2023, employing about 2,198 people between them. Up from 293 in 2018, a 17% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 6.4 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $42,625, 12% below the $48,279 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counts irrigation contractors under landscaping companies.
Which nearby metros compete with Tulsa for landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Oklahoma City (98 miles, about 3,940, $36,760 median), Wichita (130 miles, about 1,760, $38,260 median) and Kansas City (218 miles, about 6,660, $41,450 median). Oklahoma City has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Kansas City pays 13% more, which is where Tulsa employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With landscaping and groundskeeping workers this scarce in Tulsa, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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